Have you experienced weight gain in maintenance?

[JuliaL]

I'm looking to hear from other maintainers about how you dealt with weight gain (if you ever have experienced it) after you had been maintaining for a while.

I was doing really well after switching from Atkins to BFFM about 2 years ago. I did not gain any weight, and saw my lean body mass increase and my body fat decrease.

Just over a year ago my husband I moved from North Carolina back to Kentucky where we're from, and since then I've gained about 10 lbs.! Although I do admit that there have been more opportunities for bad food choices (family birthdays, holidays, etc.), 90% of the time I haven't eaten any differently than I was before. My exercise has increased instead of decreased.

I think menopause has had the biggest effect on my weight, but as of today I'm back on induction for at least a week. Then I'll slowly add more carbs, kind of like an accelerated version of the next 3 phases of Atkins.

Has anyone else experienced this? If so, what did you do?

[Loretta V]

Julia
I thing that ageing (67 for me) plays a big factor in gaining. Our bodies just tend to slow down, even though we think we are the same physically.

I have gained at the most 4 of my pounds back. When I first reached goal of 120 I continued to lose and went down to 114. But sure cannot even get back to 120 lately. The lowest I have gone in the past year is 121. I have been nibbling and not counting the nibbles. Most evenings I fix my DH's ice cream and end up taking a taste of that. Then I take a taste of something else and add a few nuts to my snacks. I think it is creeping up on me.

I have increased my exercise also, to 3 miles of walking/jogging 6 days a week where before I just did 2.5. That has not made a differnce.

I am also on 2 blood pressure meds and they have a tendency to make me retain water.

[2big4mysize]

after my dad died in 05 my world was literally turned upside down as I became the primary caregiver for my mother who has Alzheimers and can't be left alone. I went from popping out of bed and getting on my treadmill for an hour 3 days a week to nothing cause if I got on the treadmill she walked out the door or tried to cook something and started fires. I couldn't go to the gym for my 3 days of weight training either cause they don't have adult daycare at the gym like they do for little kiddies. I went from BF under 15% to 20% in a few months just from not exercising. I had to drop my carbs from over 100 back down to 45 just to maintain there.
When I finally got her settled and could hire a sitter so I could go to the gym the pounds started dropping again and now I can eat my higher carbs and the goal clothes are not tight. When I miss a gym workout cause the sitter no showed I'm a raging bull cause I know my carbs are screwed for that day.

Your plan looks good a week to get ketosis going strong and then moving back to your carb limit should work well.
Once question with your workouts have you been adjusting them upward as your body gets stronger? cause our bodies are very good at adapting and once you master those lifts you use less energy to do them again the next week so even eating the same amount we don't get the same total body cal burn doing the same workout intensity repetatively.

[BellaHMB]

When I start to see the scale edge up, I cut back my carbs to induction level and eliminate all the extras including lara bars, nuts, oatmeal, ezekial bread. Then in about 3-4 days my weight drops again. But I never let it go up more than a few pounds which then tend to come off pretty easily.

If I didnt weigh myself twice a week and stay ON IT then I could easily gain. I am eating more calories than I did while losing (probably twice the amount).

Im almost 53 and havent found menopause to be a problem.( finished it in 1998).

I think you can maintain your weight- what about using fitday for a while and getting your weight back to goal?

And love the new photo!

Bella

[JuliaL]

Thanks so much for your comments everyone!

2big - I feel for you caring for your mom with Altzheimer's. DH's mom has it too, and is still living at home with his dad. It's tough on the caregivers, that's for sure. To answer your question, I try to challenge myself with my workouts. When a weight gets too easy I up it, and I've gone from walking on the treadmill to a combination of walking and jogging. I do think part of my weight gain may have resulted from not doing enough weight lifting over the summer. DH and I were bike riding almost every day, and while that's good cardio and lots of fun, I don't think it's as good for weight loss/maintenance as resistance training.

Bella - I really hate giving up my beloved oatmeal, but I hate seeing the current number on the scale even more! I do use Fitday, so I know I'm not over-eating. You finished menopause before your weight loss, is that right? I'm hoping that once I'm finally through things will stabilize and the hormone fluctuations won't be as big a factor. Your post gives me hope! And thanks for the compliment on the pic.

Loretta - I hope I'm as active and fit as you are when I'm 67!

[2big4mysize]

my weight loss was post menapause too since I had a hysterectomy in the late 90s.
Glad you have actual factors such as change in resistance training routein you can point to and say maybe this is the reason and not hormones.

[LaurieRobo]

Right now - I'm in a the same boat as Julia? Perimenopause (Mom was done mid 40's)... I've been floundering how to continue my maintenance.

1. I don't like the number on the scale (up about 6 lbs from goal wgt)
2. body fat down, lean body mass up
3. I can see the difference and my SO keeps telling me how much my body is improving - Why can't I just forget the # and believe him and what I see ?

[BellaHMB]

I often see people reach a low weight and then bounce up over time to what might be called a sustainable weight. It takes alot of work for me to stay at 136. It would be easy to gain back up to 140! I guess it's a matter of what we are willing to do.

If you have gained, it would imply you are eating more carbs and calories?

Bella

[2big4mysize]

Originally Posted by LaurieRobo

Right now - I'm in a the same boat as Julia? Perimenopause (Mom was done mid 40's)... I've been floundering how to continue my maintenance.

1. I don't like the number on the scale (up about 6 lbs from goal wgt)
2. body fat down, lean body mass up woo hoo for you.
3. I can see the difference and my SO keeps telling me how much my body is improving - Why can't I just forget the # and believe him and what I see ?

those scale numbers are drilled in our head.
healthy weight for your size is _____ !!! with no accounting for body types. I raced right by healthy stopping weight cause the scale said I was still
17 pounds from those height weight goal numbers and the BMI said I was still over weight even when i called it goal with 14% body fat they both said overweight!!!! overweight!!!!

[JuliaL]

Originally Posted by BellaHMB

I often see people reach a low weight and then bounce up over time to what might be called a sustainable weight. It takes alot of work for me to stay at 136. It would be easy to gain back up to 140! I guess it's a matter of what we are willing to do.

If you have gained, it would imply you are eating more carbs and calories?

Bella

Bella - I wish is was that simple, but it's really not. I know I'm not eating more carbs or calories than I was eating when I weighed 140. I keep very accurate food and workout journals.

It's not just a matter of what I'm willing to do - it's a matter of unbalanced hormones, not enough sleep and too much stress, in addition to just getting older. I just posted here in the hope that someone else who has been through this during menopause would be able to give me some tips on stopping the gain. After you have maintained your loss for more than a year (and I know you will!) you'll see how these other factors can effect your weight - it's impossible to avoid.

Right now I'm doing induction and it's helping - scale is going down a bit. I've also made an appt. with an endocrinologist because I think my thyroid is involved. My T3 and T4 levels were tested recently, and by some standards I've seen on various websites I would be considered hypothyroid, even though I'm within the normal range.

[LaurieRobo]

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

those scale numbers are drilled in our head.
healthy weight for your size is _____ !!! with no accounting for body types. I raced right by healthy stopping weight cause the scale said I was still
17 pounds from those height weight goal numbers and the BMI said I was still over weight even when i called it goal with 14% body fat they both said overweight!!!! overweight!!!!

I know.... I have NEVER been on the charts - genetically I am very muscular (that is a good thing) and I have always looked less than I actually weigh another good thing...

I have 124 lbs of lean body mass --- NEVER will I be 5'7" and weigh 124 - I hear ya and I know in my head - someday it may sink in.

[LaurieRobo]

Originally Posted by BellaHMB

I often see people reach a low weight and then bounce up over time to what might be called a sustainable weight. It takes alot of work for me to stay at 136. It would be easy to gain back up to 140! I guess it's a matter of what we are willing to do.

If you have gained, it would imply you are eating more carbs and calories?

Bella

I really wish it were that easy! Julia IS living a healthy lifestyle and I have admired her for a long time she is a great role model here!

Things - hormones, stress etc... just don't stay level nor does the aging process - we can try to fight it but IT HAPPENS

I understand what she is going through, to some extent.. more than a number or vanity. It is a struggle to do everything right and watch the scale go up...

I guess it will ALWAYS be a learning process and there will always be the need to adjust our eating plans...

Bella - I know that you will succeed in maintenance, but I've been a doing this for a long time (pre-the drop of the vanity kimkins route) and you do find that works for a long while may change. I have found just as when I was losing weight, I need to mix things up to maintain too...

I still wish it would be EASY - but I guess not!

[BellaHMB]

Hi guys,

I maintained a loss for 8 years before, so I do have a little experience
But that said, I apologize in that I really didn't know Julia's background.
I do know that as I get older (I am almost 53) I need to consume less
calories. I also know that STRESS causes alot of problems including
holding on to weight. Julia, is there a way to reduce your stress?

Let us know how the doctor appt. goes!

Bella

[JuliaL]

Thanks, Bella - I will.

Exercise does help with the stress, but until my husband finds a job I don't know how I can really reduce it. Of course we all have to deal with stress, I guess the trick is dealing with it in a healthy way, which I try to do.

[BellaHMB]

Well once again Julia I love your avatar! And, you are doing a fantastic job of maintaining
your loss.

I think I will start a new thread on weight loss, maintenance, and age.

Bella

[2big4mysize]

ah those horrid stress hormones. Exercise is a great help with them as it converts them to no harmful stuff and gives us those endorphines so we can feel good I miss my hours at the gym


Wow Bella 8 yrs congrats.

[LaurieRobo]

Julia - I've been thinking --- Have you thought about a wheat or gluten allergy??? I know that for an afternoon snack you have been having a tortilla w/ turkey - right?

FWIW - It might be worth a look at!

[JuliaL]

Laurie - the wheat could be the problem. I'm happy to report that after 2 days of OWL I'm down 2 lbs. I haven't had any wheat products of course, but I've also cut out my oatmeal and the apple I was eating after lunch.

Thanks for your thoughtful suggestion - I think it will be a while before I eat tortillas or other wheat products. I'm going to slowly add things back once I've gotten rid of these extra pounds.

[LaurieRobo]

I know that as I'm experimenting and trying to figure out what works YET AGAIN LOL--- I do feel better back to basics, for me this had meant dropping the yogurt, nuts/nut butters, and any wheat (although it was always minimal) = bloating was gone. I had A serving of yogurt a few days ago with no issues and am looking at adding that back every 3 or 4 days .... not the 2 or 3 daily servings I was eating it and have added in a few handfuls of nuts and almond butter - again occasionally - not daily!

The next few weeks that is the concentration for me... basics!

Good Luck!

[2big4mysize]

a lot of low carbers discover that they had wheat and or nuts intolerances when they add them back that they never knew about before cause the symptomes were always there.

Congrats on dropping those 2 pounds. Just think if you used persentage that was 25% of the pounds you neded to lose. glad you are ethical and wouldn't try to sell that rapid weight l;oss.

[LaurieRobo]

Another thought... no proof by DR. Mom (me) LOL, but it would stand to reason that if you eliminate wheat or gluten or nuts for that matter, from your diet that when add them back in you may have developed an allergy to them that you didn't respond to when they were in your diet all the time... or at least make it more evident - food for though!

Now did that make any sense?

[BellaHMB]

Well case in point my weight is edging up- was 137 this morning. So time to lower my carbs. I have to admit Im still freaky about calories after Kimkins....and my daily cals are about 1500, which is MUCH lower than before I started LC. I was averaging 2500-3000 a day partly due to wine!

Looks like I need to cut back on my little extras for a week or so.

Bella

[2big4mysize]

Originally Posted by LaurieRobo

Another thought... no proof by DR. Mom (me) LOL, but it would stand to reason that if you eliminate wheat or gluten or nuts for that matter, from your diet that when add them back in you may have developed an allergy to them that you didn't respond to when they were in your diet all the time... or at least make it more evident - food for though!

Now did that make any sense?

yep that was sort of what i was trying to say. you were always immune system inflamed so you didn't notice any bloating nor fluid retention nor other mild allergy symptems each time you ingested things containing that compound.
I'd been having soy all my life but when I started low carbing I suddenly developed a type 3 allergic reaction to an antibiotic and to my new thyroid meds which all turned out to be formulated with a soy filler. Allergy symptoms that I had been attributing to my dust allergy were actually from eating the soy foods.

[LaurieRobo]

Yet just another twist.... Should be easy - food/fuel in... it bites to have to worry about all these little things...

We aren't talking rocket science - just eating sheesh!!!

But.. the flip side is, if we DIDN'T pay attention to these things and subtle changes or ate whatever the flip we wanted - Where would we be????

Much rather what I'm doing now!!!

[JuliaL]

Originally Posted by LaurieRobo

Yet just another twist.... Should be easy - food/fuel in... it bites to have to worry about all these little things...

We aren't talking rocket science - just eating sheesh!!!

But.. the flip side is, if we DIDN'T pay attention to these things and subtle changes or ate whatever the flip we wanted - Where would we be????

Much rather what I'm doing now!!!

I agree Laurie - sometimes people think I'm obsessed because I use Fitday, etc., but I still think it's not obession so much as dedication. It was when I didn't worry about what I ate that I got fat!

Bella - I think calories DO count, but I am also a firm believer in the starvation response. I think when you feel hungry all the time your brain gets the message that there isn't enough food and starts hanging onto the fat.